* More than 100 Labour lawmakers have signed a statement backing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and urging the party to avoid a leadership contest, as pressure mounted on the Labour leader following the fourth ministerial resignation on Tuesday.
* Michael Pintard, leader of the Bahamas' opposition Free National Movement (FNM), conceded defeat late Tuesday following the parliamentary election held earlier that day, and congratulated Prime Minister Philip Davis, leader of the ruling Progressive Liberal Party (PLP).
* Republic of Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Wednesday met with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng at the presidential office in Seoul. During the meeting, He Lifeng noted that the heads of state of China and the Republic of Korea have conducted reciprocal visits since the end of last year, leading the bilateral relations into a new stage of improvement and development.
* The Chinese and U.S. delegations convened on Wednesday for consultations on economic and trade issues at Incheon International Airport in Republic of Korea.
* A drone attack on a gas processing plant in Russia's Astrakhan Region was repelled, governor Igor Babushkin announced on Wednesday.
* Regional cooperation among police agencies is essential for combating organized crime, illegal migration, human trafficking and cybercrime in Southeast Europe, officials said on Tuesday at the assembly of the Southeast Europe Police Chiefs Association (SEPCA) in Sarajevo.
* Britain will deploy a warship, fighter jets and autonomous systems as part of a multinational security mission in the Strait of Hormuz, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) said on Tuesday. British Defence Secretary John Healey announced the plan following a virtual meeting of defence ministers involving representatives from more than 40 countries.
* Australia "stands ready" to support a "strictly defensive" multinational military mission led by Britain and France to safeguard shipping through the Strait of Hormuz amid ongoing Middle East tensions, a senior official said Wednesday.
* The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has already triggered a global energy crisis and could lead to higher food and fertilizer prices and a recession of the entire global economy in the near future, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said on Wednesday.
* The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) announced on Wednesday that the global oil demand is forecast to grow by a "healthy" 1.2 million barrels per day (bpd) year on year in 2026, lower than its previous estimate.
* Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has directed his office to halve the number of vehicles in his convoy in order to save fuel, and also requisitioned for replacing them with electric vehicles, local media reported Wednesday.
* Indonesia has received crude oil shipments from Nigeria as part of a strategic push to diversify its energy sources amid ongoing Middle East tensions, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources said Wednesday.
* Singapore on Wednesday set out a new economic strategy aimed at securing long-term growth and creating better jobs, as the government seeks to strengthen the city-state's competitiveness amid rising geopolitical tensions, economic uncertainty and slowing workforce growth.
* Portuguese President Antonio Jose Seguro promulgated a government decree on Tuesday introducing a package of tax relief measures aimed at expanding housing supply and addressing the country's housing crisis.
* France's unemployment rate rose by 0.2 percentage point to 8.1 percent in the first quarter of 2026, reaching its highest level since the first quarter of 2021, the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE) said on Wednesday.
* Mounting supply losses from the Strait of Hormuz are drawing down global oil inventories "at a record pace" and "further price volatility appears likely" ahead of the peak summer demand period, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Wednesday.
* The European Commission on Wednesday proposed new rules aimed at making travel across Europe easier to plan and book, especially for rail journeys involving multiple operators and cross-border routes.
* The Arab League on Tuesday condemned the alleged infiltration of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) elements onto Kuwait's Bubiyan Island as a "dangerous precedent" and a flagrant violation of Kuwaiti sovereignty and security.
* Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani met here Tuesday with visiting Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on bilateral ties and regional developments, including the U.S.-Iran ceasefire.
* At least 16 people were killed and 14 others wounded in Israeli strikes across southern Lebanon overnight and into Tuesday, according to Lebanese security and medical sources.
* The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday urged health authorities and the general public to remain alert and strengthen hantavirus surveillance measures despite the outbreak being categorized as low risk to public health in Africa.
* Malaysia will see higher temperatures from May 14 onward as the Southwest Monsoon season rolls in, the Malaysian Meteorological Department said on Tuesday.
